In
what is becoming a sad refrain in the aviation world, “not again.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how a
United Airlines plane lost an exterior panel before safely landing on Friday.
The equipment was a Boeing 737-800, in the same family of
airplanes as the 737 Max 9 that was involved in the January 5 mishap on an
Alaska Airlines jet.
This latest incident invites -- some would say demands – even
more scrutiny of the beleaguered airplane manufacturer. United Flight 433 took
off from San Francisco International Airport and safely landed in Medford,
Oregon, carrying 145 passengers and crew.
The FAA said a normal post-landing airline inspection of the
25-year-old plane brought to light the missing external panel. United Airlines
said it would also investigate the problem. The flight made its regular landing
and an emergency was not declared because there was no indication of an issue
until the inspection.
"We'll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and
perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service," the airline
said in a statement.
Boeing: No Comment
Boeing did not comment, instead directing questions to United.
The airplane manufacturer has
also been accused of impeding the National Transportation Safety Board
investigation of the Alaska Airlines incident.
The exterior panel from the United flight has not been found. It
is unknown if it was missing before the flight or was damaged during the
flight.
Boeing has been under fire for its quality control and safety
standards. United has also
had a difficult start to the year, including a plane that ran off the
runway in Houston and a tire that fell off a jet after it took off from San
Francisco and landed in an employee parking lot.
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